“My love, I’m struggling with network where I am at the moment but I am good, love of my life. I will call you immediately when I get a clear network reception. I love you, bye,” Mokete Mobe promised his wife Bonny Mahlanye in a WhatsApp voice note with gunshots audible in the background. 

Mahlanye also shared their video call on her Facebook page, calling it her last memory of her husband.

Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa has called for the silencing of guns across Africa to ensure lasting peace, inclusive development, and prosperity following the tragic deaths of 13 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Mokete Mobe, one of the 13 SA soldiers who was killed in DRC. Photo: Facebook

The soldiers were part of an international peacekeeping mission aimed at stabilising the volatile region, which has seen heightened conflict between rebel groups, including the M23 and the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF). The South African soldiers, alongside three Malawian military personnel, were killed last week during an offensive by M23 rebels and the RDF, who sought to advance on Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu in the DRC.

In a tragic turn, three more SANDF soldiers lost their lives in the crossfire of mortar exchanges between M23 forces, RDF troops, and the DRC army at Goma airport on Monday (27/1). A soldier who was previously injured also succumbed to their wounds. Ramaphosa expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers and reaffirmed the SA government’s commitment to supporting the families of those who were injured or killed.

He also acknowledged that the deadly attacks on peacekeepers were part of a wider escalation in the DRC, which involved not only South African troops but also peacekeepers from Malawi, Tanzania, and other international forces that contributed to the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC.

Dedicated to peace-building

“The fighting is the result of an escalation by the M23 rebels and the Rwanda Defence Force, who are engaging the DRC’s armed forces and attacking the peacekeepers from the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC,” Ramaphosa stated.

He expressed his “profound sorrow” for the families of the soldiers, emphasising that South Africa stood by them during their time of grief.

SANDF Chief Gen. Rudzani Maphwanya also paid tribute to the fallen soldiers, highlighting their bravery in the face of extreme danger. He reaffirmed South Africa’s mission in the DRC and remained dedicated to peace-building and preventing a humanitarian crisis in the region.

“We honour our fallen heroes and recognise the ultimate sacrifice they made in protecting lives and upholding peace and security,” said General Maphwanya. The SANDF is prioritising the repatriation of the fallen soldiers, ensuring that their return home is handled with the utmost respect.

Amid growing concerns about the safety of SA troops in the region, Ramaphosa appealed to all South Africans to support their military personnel, who continue to risk their lives in pursuit of peace. He said the SANDF’s presence in the DRC is not a declaration of war but a peacekeeping mission, part of broader international efforts to bring stability to the region under the auspices of both SADC and the United Nations.

Fighting for peace

“South Africa’s military presence in the eastern DRC is not a declaration of war against any country,” Ramaphosa said. SANDF members form part of international efforts to protect lives threatened by conflict, and the presence of SADC Mission forces demonstrates the SADC member states’ commitment to support the DRC in its efforts for lasting peace and stability.

Ramaphosa stressed the critical role of diplomacy in resolving the ongoing conflict and the importance of respecting the DRC's sovereignty and territorial integrity, in accordance with the UN Charter. He urged all parties involved in the conflict to engage in diplomatic negotiations, honour the Luanda Process agreements, and work towards a peaceful resolution.

“Guns must be silenced on the continent,” Ramaphosa declared, calling for an end to the violence and for all parties to embrace dialogue and peaceful conflict resolution. He underscored that attaining lasting peace is essential for Africa’s inclusive development and prosperity.

I held two conversations this week with President Ramaphosa on the situation in Eastern DRC, including earlier today. What has been said about these conversations in the media by South African officials and President Ramaphosa himself contains a lot of distortion, deliberate… https://t.co/i78aqtVjpr

— Paul Kagame (@PaulKagame) January 29, 2025

Meanwhile, Rwandan President Paul Kagame shared with X that he’d spoken with Ramaphosa about the situation in the eastern DRC. He claimed that d SA media reports about utterances by SA officials and Ramaphosa about the conversation contain distortions, deliberate attacks and lies.

He said South Africa is in no position to assume the role of peacemaker or mediator. He said if South Africa preferred confrontation, Rwanda would deal with the matter in that context any day.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh